unimaginable

 If you told me that I would be sky diving, zip lining, or some other form of praying for my life at ANY POINT in my life, I would have laughed and said yeah right.  And yet, the truth be told, I knowingly planned our rainforest adventures fully aware that we would need to swing above the canopy to really see all of the layers of the forest.  There was never an OH WAIT moment.  No one ever mentioned that they couldn't handle it - there were NO COMPLAINTS WHATSOEVER.

Amazing.

And Wonderful.

I think a lot of it had to do with our surroundings.  How could anything that wasn't beautiful occur here?  The fresh air, the soft, damp earth, the screaming sounds of life - I could have walked these paths a million times over.  (If these paths were next to my home, taking the time to walk them everyday would be a breeze.  The red clay reminds me of the trails I would get lost on behind my grandparent's cabin in NC.)  This is one of THOSE photos that you just couldn't capture what it meant to be standing THERE RIGHT THEN kind of moments.  It disappoints me that I couldn't collect it or sweep it up and put it into my pocket for you to see.  Maybe that's all the more reason to plan a return trip and take YOU.  But for now, let me reel you in...

 This is the OH MY GOD bridge.

   

This is the road we had to travel down to uncover the platforms and high wires of the zip lines we would eventually swing from. Jorge, our guide and soon to be trapeze expert, was one of THOSE TICOS that I told you about earlier.  With great ease of pure vida escaping his lips, he encouraged us to understand that these roads were put here on purpose.  All Costa Rican roads offer you the tico massage treatment for free!  Oh the bumps and turns.  What an experience.  But when we got to this little stretch of planks wildly laid out to cross a creek bed below, I thought, it could be any worst than getting to Papa's cabin down in Nebo.  And it wasn't, but look closer.  Do you see the palms that line the road ahead?  These are African Palm Oil trees.  They produce many, many jobs for the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area.  And they produce many, many products that you use everyday like healthy alternative vegetable oils and lotions, with the intention that could one day lead to a biofuel of the future.  These are the fruits that are harvested:

Crazy looking fruit, isn't it?

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So, off we went traveling upwards along that red mud path and it wasn't long at all before we crossed path with this guy...

 Alvaro, or Big Al as they called him, jumped up and over one of the narrow ropes and grabbed onto a Green Poison Arrow frog.  Isn't he cute?  Now don't freak out; he wasn't poisonous to the touch.  And, in fact, the rumor that is secretions were used on indigenous weapons could be just that: rumor.  There is a tiny hole just under his neckline that emits a deadly substance, but we didn't test this theory for validity!

 okay. time to get serious.  place family members in harness.  give 'em a helmet. push....
 
 

What? you don't see me?  sure. I did it. I swear.  You believe me right?  of course you do.  I'm known for my honesty (big mouth) and positive attitude (taking chances).  So you just KNOW I did it.  So no worries.

Let's look at some perspective here:

150+ feet above the forest floor.

Our party included two groups of eight people.  My four member family included ONE OUTRAGEOUSLY STOKED 13 year old boy, a TIMID, but CURIOUS little girl, one BRAVE teacher wanting to live the experience, and a KNEE SHAKING 37 year old ACROPHOBIA ridden male.  (Poor Chato doesn't like heights AT ALL, just like para-sailing and walking out onto the window at Sears (Willis) Tower- he had to do it ONCE!)  There were ten platforms to zip through, one swinging bridge, two rappel lines and...

THIS Tarzan Swing...

  Apprehension? Nah.  You can't see THAT on Chato's face.  Hook him up - Let's goooooooo.....

Dude. Awesome!  He is glad THAT's over!

Next?  Aly.  Her father's spirit to the core.  She doesn't like the spinning rides, nor the drops at Great America, so I was very surprised that she didn't fuss AT ALL about doing this entire adventure.  The Tarzan swing was probably the most intimidating one for her, but she hooked up because REALLY? Where else could she go to get out of it?  Now...if you look closely..I had some help taking pictures.  There was a photographer that traveled with us and helped to gather some great shots of US throughout the experience.  Thank goodness, right?  So I could prove I did this too...(but you already believed me, right?) :)

Now check out Aly's confidence...

 ...and then...

PURE HORROR!

My poor baby.  She didn't scream or freak out ONCE!  But the camera on the other side caught her fear!  She is one tough cookie!

Of course, there was NO fear involved for the adventure seeking educator...

 I did it too.

What?!

You didn't believe me until now!?

Shame on you.

You know I don't lie!

:)

Chato survived too.

 ...and Mr. BIG BOY TEENAGER GUY was ready to stay on and do THIS no hands move ALL DAY LONG.  In fact, he momentarily added it to the future career list...

 I don;t quite have Brandan's adrenaline, but I'll never forget soaring through the canopy on this day.  Fact is, if I get a chance to do it again, maybe a return trip and somewhere in the Monteverde Cloud Forest area, I will SIGN ON with out a second thought.  (I think we all would!)

 Even Mr. Chato Prado, himself...

...but we give HUGE thanks to these guys, our Quepos Zip Line team, especially Arley, Big Al, Steven, and Jorge for giving us a great experience!

 

 We HAD a blast.

 

Oh, wait.  I forgot our final friend we met just before leaving!  Check out this HUGE Blue Morpho butterfly.  We got to see her in the garden along with some Owl butterflies, too!

What a day.